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Comparison of passive and active canopy sensors for the estimation of vine biomass production

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Abstract

Recent advances in optical designs and electronic circuits have allowed the transition from passive to active proximal sensors. Instead of relying on the reflectance of natural sunlight, the active sensors measure the reflectance of modulated light from the crop and so they can operate under all lighting conditions. This study compared the potential of active and passive canopy sensors for predicting biomass production in 25–32 randomly selected positions of a Merlot vineyard. Both sensors provided estimates of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from a nadir view of the canopy at veraison that were good predictors of pruning weight. Although the red NDVI of the passive sensors explained more of the variation in biomass (R 2 = 0.82), its relationship to pruning weight was nonlinear and was best described by a quadratic regression (NDVI = 0.55 + 0.50 wt−0.21 wt2). The theoretically greater linearity of the amber NDVI-biomass relationship could not be verified under conditions of high biomass. The linear correlation to stable isotope content in leaves (13C and 15N) provided evidence that canopy reflectance detected plant stresses as a result of water shortage and limited fertilizer N uptake. Thus, the canopy reflectance data provided by these mobile sensors can be used to improve site-specific management practices of vineyards.

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Acknowledgments

This project was carried out jointly by USDA-ARS and the Gaia Environmental Research and Education Center of the Goulandris Natural History Museum (Specific Cooperative Agreement # 58-4012-0-F169) together with the Institute of Soil Mapping and Classification of the National Agricultural Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil Ecology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Gaia Environmental Research and Education Center, Goulandris Natural History Museum, 13 Levidou Street, 14562, Kifissia, Greece

    Stamatis Stamatiadis, Eleftheria Tsadila & Calliopi Christofides

  2. Boutari S.A., Goumenissa Winery, 61300, Goumenissa, Greece

    Dimitris Taskos

  3. National Agricultural Research Foundation, Institute of Soil Classification and Mapping, 1 Theophrastou Street, 41335, Larissa, Greece

    Christos Tsadilas

  4. USDA-ARS, University of Nebraska, 120 Keim Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0915, USA

    James S. Schepers

Authors
  1. Stamatis Stamatiadis
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  2. Dimitris Taskos
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  3. Eleftheria Tsadila
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  4. Calliopi Christofides
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  5. Christos Tsadilas
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  6. James S. Schepers
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Correspondence to Stamatis Stamatiadis.

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Stamatiadis, S., Taskos, D., Tsadila, E. et al. Comparison of passive and active canopy sensors for the estimation of vine biomass production. Precision Agric 11, 306–315 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-009-9131-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-009-9131-3

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